I Read

Greetings,
I'm Laverick. I'm here to read and give my opinion, but I also write.
I love to read and have been involved in several literature classes, creative writing, reading groups, etc... Reading and Writing are hobbies to me and not what I'm pursuing professionally.

In reviewing... I'm critical, but I try to give valid feedback. I mostly focus on content, rather than grammar. I'm not exactly a technical editor. If I write something in regards to your writing you find inaccurate, or you want more specific advice, feel free to say something. I love a challenge (more than a goal) and, if I'm mistaken, I don't mind being told so.

As far as writing, I write. And, if you're anything like me, that's all you care to know about my writing history. Yes, I've been doing it since I was a little kid, blah, blah, blah. Bottom line is, I have nothing published.

Well, that's it.

Edit: Is there a way to edit my profile so it does not show my gender. I am eccentric and I find it offensive.

The only way to change or erase your gender selection is to send a request in private message to Daniel, the site owner. It may take some time for him to get to it.

Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog.

If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate.

As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information.

And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites.

Thank you for that general introduction and information. I'm surprised there's not just a way to turn off gender preference, but I will try contacting Daniel.

I plan to spend most of my time looking at other writer's work. I like how the policy here works, it must be very beneficial to writers.

I've already begun to take a look around and gravitated right to the general writing. I've looked into the review section. For some reason I didn't realize how large it was, so I'm trying to figure out where I should start.

If you want to create a portfolio of your work, I recommend your user blog. You can create categories within your blog. I have a Portfolio category, with Short Story and Poetry subcategories in my own blog space here.